Carrier



Aug. 16, 1932u H. L. B'URNHAM 1,872,069

i v CARRIER Filed July 22, 1931 f/A Bm z. Bum/HAM Patented ug.1`6,17932 f l l UNITED STATESP'ATENT OFFICE HARRY LOOR BUA'IRNHAM, 0F YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO CARRIER Appiication mea July 22, 193i. serial No. 552,336.'

This invention. relates to improvements in drical gas container, certain portions of the devices for handling and transporting heavy handles being broken away; articles, andinore particularly relates to'an Fig. -2 is a view taken in a plane from improved type of tongs particularly adapted the line 2e-2, of Fig. 1, looking in the di- 'l to transport heavy cylindrical objects suchrection of the arrows and showing the jaws |55 as oxygen tanks, lengths of pipe, or the of the carrier in a gripping position upon a like.V section of a cylinder;

The custom in transporting and handling Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line of `heavy articles, such as oxygen tanks, in 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the 1 and about a factory has been to roll the arrows and showing the jaws in an open po- 60 tanks or put them on to the usual type of stion with the cylinder removed; hand truck. Itis often desirable to trans- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional View port tanks from one place to another wliere-V taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and in crane facilities maynot be available or the f Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view u transportation by the usual hand truck may r 0f 011e of the grlppmg jaws removed from be ditlicult because ofthe uneven character aSSeIDbly-- y j of the terrain traversed. In such instances, Rflrlng IlQW to figures of the drawing, the article, being 1300 heavy and cumbersome throughout which like parts will be referred r for one man t0 handle, it, is quite Common to by like reference characters, .the .carrier 2 practice for two men to transport the article, may COIHPIISB WO SGS Of gripping jaws or 7 each man grasping an and 0f thefarticle, tongs spaced from veach other and .connected This method, however is unwieldy, quite to each other by apair of longitudinally dis- ()ften resulting in the Workmen dropping the pOSd hndle'S Which handles 9.16 ildlpted t0 tank, endangering the men and damaging operate the jaws and serve as a means for Y, L25 the articles. Y y carrying the objects engaged by the jaws, 5

With this improved carrier it is possible @d a Separate hndl@ for TQIDOVIlg the Carfor two or more men to handle such articles Ilel from .the Oblet, together Vh an MIP in a highly efcient manner without the liat0 Prever@ the Oblect from Slldllg 10I1g1* bility of dropping the same. tudmau'y 1n the .laWS- Another object of this invention is to pro- Each 0n@ Qf the SES 0f glPPlng NWS 01' 8o vide a carrier for transporting objects which tongs Complse .a Pau' 0f Semlclculm' law may be quickly and easily attached to the elements. The jaw element 1 has an extendobject to be transported and also easily deed afm adapte@ to act 3S all opemtmg level n Cached from the Said Object f for moving the jaw and which may be con 3 Another object of the invention is to pro-4 Heated tqand Support'handl'is '3'. The lun?" 8J vide a carrier of an improved design emture 4 ,of the lever 2 gmppmg law 1.15 bodying relatively great strength .but'com-` apeftured at 5 furntshmg means through pact in. Construction and light in Weight. which a bolt may be insertedto form a piv- Another ob'ect of the invention is the ro- Otal connectn for the la element? 40 l P Th m n vision ofa carrier readily adaptable to transe other Jaw ele e t of each pau' Whlch portation of heavy articles by a crane is adapte-Ed to Cooperate with the jaw l is of S ,3.1, t, x b. t f th t. f d t-h substantially the same general contour as the l 0 161 O le@ 'S 0 emven man e preceding jaw but is substantially thicker mventlon .itself will becom apparentfrom hein0r herein termed the female aw. AIt com- '..45 the following detailed description of the depsebs a Semi circu1ar gppi, Orgon ,6 95 vice which description has been illustrated which merges into a levr 7 adzfted to Supbythe guresof the drawing accompanying port the handle 3. The body of the lever 7 hlS SPGCICHUOIL and the jaw is of a double wall construction,

. Fig. l represents a side elevational vieW which ldouble wall construction may extend 5 of the carrier as used in transporting a cylin- `down tof the point 8 of the aw. The male o f" en) n each grasp jaw 1 upwardly extending member 12 which may. b e slotted as at 13 with an arcuate slot on the same center as the aperture 5.` @The female jaw is provided with similar upward extensions across which a pin l5 is disposed which may carry a roller 16 adapted to slide within the slot 13 and engage in the bottom 17 of the slot to limit the inward movement of the jaws. It is obvious that the free end 14 ofniember 12 may be removed to leave the abutment only and obtain substantially the same results.

Secured to the jaws by the pivot pinv is a handle by which the tongs may be remcfed from an object, without exert-ing a gripping action, which includes a yoke shaped portion having a pair of downwardly extending legs embracing the jaw elements and through-'which the pivot pin eX tends. 'Ihe upper end of the yoke terminates in a'grip 22. Each of the pair of tong members are connected together in spaced rela-v tion to each other as illustrated in Fig'. 1, by tubular handles 3 secured inthe ends of the levers 2 and 7 and adapted to extend parallel with the object to be carried. As is shown in Fig. 1 two sets of the tongshave been assembled in such manner that the relatively thin male jaw 1 of one set is on the corresponding side of the object to be carried as the heavier double walled female jaw 6 of the other set.

In operation the tongs when transported without carrying the tanks may be grasped by the grips 22, which permits the same to be lifted from the object without affecting the operation of the jaws. c t

The weight of the handles 3 may be suffi# cient to cause the jaws to normally spread to an open position, as is shown in Fig. 3, when the tongs arerli'fted by the :grips 22; thus permitting the same to be readilyseated upon the object carried, or the handles may be forcibly pushed downward to open the jaws.

The jaws being disposed over a'tank as shown in- Fig. 1 when the handles 3 are grasped and raised, both levers 7 and 2 are swung upwardly about the pivot 5 causing the jaws 1 and 6 to close upon the'object. In this manner a man on each side of the tank may a handle raising the same upward, causing the jaws of each set to simultaneously grip the object and the object may then readily be transported from place to place, or the men may grasp the handles which may extend beyond the object carried, one man being on each end. l/Vhen it is desired to release the tank and remove the carrier the tank is merely laid down upon the ground and the carrier removed from the tank by grasping the grips 22. Releasingl the handles 3 permits the weight ofthe handles to open the jaws in a manner as previouslyV described. A hook or arm may be provided, being of Z shape and secured to the juncture of the jaws by the pivot pin 10 and is adapted to engage the end of theobject carried to prevent the same from sliding longitudinally through the aws when the carrier is used to transport cylinders up inclines or over uneven ground.

After the carrieris removed from the object it may readily be moved from place to place bygrasping handles 3 in which instance the jaws 6.and 1 are moved toward each other until the pin and roller 15 of the female member engages in the bottom of the slot 17 of the male member preventing further convergence of the jaws.

The male and 'female constructionof the jaw members provides a compact construction particularly .adapted forv carrying heavy weights because of the even disposition of the load uponV the pivot pin 10.

yThe construction of this carrier is such that the object to be transferred may be readily'carried between two or more men and at all times maintaining the object under positive control. The stop on the female member which abuts the abutment on the male member prevents the handles and tongs from coming together when the device is being transported without aload; however, there may be times when it is desirable to change the position of this particular stop in order to permit greater latitude in the sizes of objects handled. It is also apparent that the carrier is readily adapted for use with chain falls which may be attached to the handles in such a manner as to cause the proper gripping action of the jaws to take place. This permits of still greater security and quicker attachment than may be experienced when the chain falls are used alone. One method of such. attachment would be to hook the two ends of the chain around diagonally opposite ends of the handles 3.

Having thus described my invention I am aware that numerous and extensive departures maybe inadefrom the same but not without departure from the scope of the appended claims.4

l I claim: v s

a carrier comprising a plurality of gripping jaws aligned in pairs, each pair comprising a jaw portionand a lever portion and pivoted to each other intermediate the jaw and lever portion, handles carried by the levers and connecting the levers upon like sides of the jaws to each other in spaced parallel relation and adapted to close the aw portions simultaneously upon movement thereof.

2. In a carrier comprising a plurality of gripping jaws aligned in pairs, each pair comprising a jaw portion and a lever portion and pivoted to each other intermediate the jaw and lever portion, handles carried by the levers and connecting the levers upon like sides of the jaws to each other in spaced parallel relation and adapted to close the jaw portions simultaneously when raised upward.

3. In a carrier comprising a plurality of Y secured to said pivotal connection, and supporting a handle.

4. In a carrier, a pair of pivoted members each comprising gripping jaws and jaw operated levers, said members being pivotally united, an abutment upstanding from one of said members at an angle to the latter in the plane of rotation of the member, a complementary abutment upstanding from the other member at an angle to the lever in the plane of rotation of the member said abutment being arranged to engage and to limit the extent of opening of the members.

5. In a carrier comprising a plurality of gripping jaws arranged in pairs, each pair comprising a jaw portion and a lever portion and pivoted to each other intermediate the j aw and lever portion, handles carried by the levers and connecting the levers upon like sides of the jaws to each other in spaced parallel relation and adapted to close the jaw portions simultaneously when raised upwardly, an abutment formed upon each member adjacent the pivot, said abutment being constructed and arranged to engage and to limit the opening movement of the members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiX my signature this l5 day of July, 1931.

HARRY LOOR BURNHAM. 

